- All major car rental companies are present in Belgium. You can rent your car at the airport on arrival. Though, we recommend that you make a reservation before hand.

- Most cars in Belgium have a stick-shift. Although, when making a reservation with the rental car company, you can ask for an automatic shift. These cars are more expensive

- All distances displayed on streetsigns and the speedometer in the car display "kilometers". 5 miles = 8 kilometer.

- Drunk driving is a felony, the maximum alcohol content in blood is 0.05

- The driving is very nervous and very aggressive in Belgium, especially in the cities. Be careful, but firm, and take your right to drive. Don't wait for somebody else to be friendly enough to give you way, take your way.

- When you choose your car, take in account that the streets in Belgium are narrow.

Parking. The most convenient parking in the center of the cities is to park your car in underground parkings, or in parking-buildings. The rate is about $ 2 per hour. These parkings are safe and clean. But, pay attention:
* when entering the parking you take a ticket from the machine that opens the gate. You take the ticket with you out of the car, because, when you come to pick up your car again, you will have to pay at the entrance. You pay by inserting your ticket into a machine, which tells you how much to pay. Make sure you have notes of 100 and 500 belgian francs with you. You insert the notes, the machine gives you the change back, and gives your ticket back. That ticket is now magnetically loaded for about 10 minutes. You find your car, drive to the exit, and at the gate you put your ticket into the machine that opens the gate.

* some parkings close at night. If you plan to stay late, check the closing time before entering the parking, or take the car out of the parking before closing time.

- You are never allowed to turn right on a red traffic light. Which is one major difference with the US traffic-rules. A Stop sign must be respected, just like in the US. You may notice that not all Belgians respect the stop-sign.

- The maximum speed on the highways is 120 km per hour. 90 km off the highway, and only 60 or 50 where houses are build. Don't be surprised that everybody drives faster than you, when you drive the maximum allowed speed. We recommend that you respect the speed limits.

- The road infrastructure is dense but not always maintained Look out for pot-holes. Avoid the ring of Brussels during the week-days in the morning between 7 and 9, and in the evening between 4 and 7. This is rush hour, when everybody tries to go in or come out of Brussels at the same time, and traffic comes very often to a stop. The same situation occurs around most other cities around the same time, although the situation is not that bad.